Retractable safety belt for hospital gurneys and the like

ABSTRACT

A safety belt for use on patient supporting hospital equipment such as operating tables, gurneys, wheelchairs and the like which includes an elongated restraining strap adapted to be disposed in transversely circumscribing relation about the patient support and having opposite releasably connectable ends disposed in overlapping position about the patient. The strap has an intermediate portion connected to a retracting roller releasably detachable anchored to the hospital equipment, the strap in extended patient circumscribing relation serves to hold the anchors more securely in place.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Walter George Preston Tulare, Calif.21 Appl. No. 775,793 [22] Filed Nov. 14, 1968 [45 Patented May 25, 197173] Assignee John T. Posey [54] RETRACTABLE SAFETY BELT FOR HOSPITALGURNEYS AND THE LIKE 11 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 242/l07.l, 297/388 [51] Int. Cl B65h 75/48 [50] Field ofSearch 242/107,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,814,504 11/1957 Campbellet a1 242/107.1X

3,241,881 3/1966 Camahan et al 297/385 3,313,511 4/1967 Koerner et al.297/385UX 3,402,901 9/1968 Van l-louton 242/l07.1 1 3,425,646 2/1969Hollowell 242/l07.l1

Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath Assistant ExaminerWerner l-l.Schroeder Attorney-Huebner and Worrel ABSTRACT: A safety belt for use onpatient supporting hospital equipment such as operating tables, gumeys,wheelchairs and the like which includes an elongated restraining strapadapted to be disposed in transversely circumscribing relation about thepatient support and having opposite releasably connectable ends disposedin overlapping position about the patient. The strap has an intermediateportion connected to a retracting roller releasably detachable anchoredto the hospital equipment, the strap in extended patient circumseribingrelation serves to hold the anchors more securely in place.

Patented May 25, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WALTER 6. PRESTON IN VE N TO)? m7 A TTORNEVS Patented May 25, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WALTER G. PRESTONINVEN TOR M YM A TTORNEV i RETRACTABLE SAFETY BELT FOR HOSPITAL GURNEYSAND THE LIKE BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The present invention relates tosafety belts and more particularly to safety belts for use on hospitalequipment such as operating tables, gurneys, wheelchairs and the like.

The need for restraining and immobilizing a patient during an operationisreadily apparent. There is also frequently a need for restraining apatient in bed or during transport because of a patients incapacitationor irrationality due to illness, reaction to drugs or postoperativeconditions. Restraint is needed to prevent patients from falling off theequipment or thrashing about and opening up incisions and the like.Various mechanisms have been utilized for immobilizing patients underthe conditions described including straps which are buckled or otherwisesecured. Such straps, however, have not proved entirely satisfactory forthe reason that when not in use they dangle loosely with the tendency tobecome twisted and entangled with the equipment. Such straps thereforeare not presented in suitable condition for connection about thepatient. Additionally, the loose straps interfere with the movement ofhospital personnel in the vicinity of the equipment. Furthermore, thestraps are usually fixedly connected to equipment which prevents theirready detachment for cleaning and sterilization thereby presenting aproblem of sanitatron.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present inventionto provide a safety belt which overcomes the deficiencies of the priorart.

Another object is to provide a safety belt for hospital equipment whichi: retractable to preclude the presence of loose dangling ends, the endsbeing kept out of the way of interference with the operation of theequipment and personnel, yet readily accessible for easy and rapidconnection in overlapping relation about the patient.

Another object is to provide an extendable restraining strap which isnormally held in retracted condition and is guided for extension andretraction to preclude twisting of the strap.

Another object is to provide a retractable belt which is adjustable foruse on different types of hospital equipment.

Another object is to provide a safety belt for hospital equipment whichis easily attachable and detachable in its entirety for ready removal asa unit for cleaning and sterilizing.

Another object is to provide a safety belt mounted on hospital equipmentwhich is capable of disposition about a patient and extendable to thefull length thereof in operation without imposing undue strain on themeans mounting the belt on the equipment.

Another object is to provide a safety belt for use on hospitalequipment, which is detachably anchored to the equipment, and the beltin operative relation functions to hold the anchors more securely inplace.

Another object is to provide a retractable safety belt for hospitalequipment which is of relatively inexpensive construction and operatesin a reliable and facile manner.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages are achieved bya safetybelt for hospital equipment which includes a retractable rollerdetachably mounted on the equipment by a pair of straps, each having ananchor on the distal end thereof, the straps being adjustable formounting the roller on different types of hospital equipment. Attachedto the roller is the intermediate portion of a strap or webbing adaptedto be disposed in circumscribing relation about a patient and havingoverlapping ends releasably connectable together for restraining orholding the patient immobilized. The webbing passes through guides andaround the anchors when in circumscribing relation for securely holdingthe anchors in place. Upon disconnection and release of the overlappingends of the webbing, the roller operates to retract the webbing, theguide serving to prevent twisting thereof. Each of the free ends of thewebbing is provided with a stop which is engageable with one of theguides adjacent to an anchor for rendering such ends of the webbingreadily accessible and precluding dangling of the ends of the webbing.The roller mounting, anchors and guides are constructed of bent wire foreconomy of construction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view illustratingthe use of safety belts embodying the principles of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view illustrating the mannerof mounting a safety belt of the present invention on a piece ofhospital equipment.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail perspective view of one of the anchorsand the relationship of the parts associated therewith.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating therelationship of an anchor to the frame of a piece of hospital equipmentand the disposition of one end of the hold ing strap in the retractedposition thereof.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the holding strap retractingroller and the mounting therefor.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the roller and its mounting taken along aline transversely of the roller.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, there is shown inFIG. 1 a pair of safety belt devices embodying the principles of thepresent invention and designated generally by the reference number 10.For illustrative purposes the devices 10 are shown and described as usedon a piece of hospital equipment 12 which is a vehicle for transportinga patient 14 or any other object thereon, commonly referred to as agurney. The vehicle 12 has a support surface 16 mounted on a frame 18having wheels 20. The safety belt device of the present invention can,of course, be applied to other types of hospital equipment such asoperating tables, beds wheelchairs, and the like. It is therefore to beunderstood that the features of the present invention, hereinafterdescribed in greater detail, are capable of broad application and arenot limited to use with gurneys or other hospital equipment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the frame 18 includes a pair of side members orrails 22 interconnected by transverse members or ribs 24. Although therails 22 are shown as being round with channel reinforcing members 26,the rails and other frame parts could be of rectangular configuration,as desired or deemed necessary. Detachably connected to each of the siderails 22 is an anchor 28, best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. Associated witheach anchor 28 is a mounting strap 30 and a connector 32. The mountingstraps 30 extend inwardly and the inner ends thereof are connected to aframe 34 mounting a retracting roller 36, as shown in FIG. 2. Connectedto the roller 36 is a holding or restraining strap 38 of suitable fabricor webbing having end portions 40a and 40b adapted to be placed inoverlapping relation for circumscribing an object, such as a patientsbody or the like. The facing portions of the overlapping end portions40a and 40b are provided with adhesive fabric material in the form of alayer 420 of bristle or hook material and a layer 42b of fleece or pilematerial. Such adhesive fabric material is commercially available underthe trade name VEL- CRO. The layers, when pressed together, adhere tohold the overlapping end portions 40a and 40b connected but are easilypulled apart for disconnection of the end portions. The distal ends ofthe end portions are provided with projecting flaps, or catches 40c fora purpose later to become apparent.

Viewing FIG. 3, it is to be noted that the connector 32 is of bent wireand has a transverse portion 32a which interconnects a pair of legs 32bproviding intumed end portions 32c on which is journaled a roller 44.The anchor member 28 is also of bent wire construction and includes atransverse portion 280 which is generally parallel to the portion 320and interconnects a pair of bent legs 28b each with an angulated end 280suitably configured to fit about a frame member to which the anchor isadapted to be connected. The anchor 28 further includes portions 28d,each of which is bent back and disposed generally parallel to anassociated leg 28b beyond which the portion curves reversely, as at 28e,the anchor terminating in intumed ends on which a roller 46 is rotatablymounted. The anchor and the connector are so related that the legs 28band reversely curved portions 282 are adjacent to and inwardly of thelegs 32b and ends 32c, respectively.

Each mounting strap 30 has an end 30a which is folded over around thetransverse portion of 32a of the connector 32 and passes between suchportion and the transverse portion 280 of the anchor 28, as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4. Referring to FIGS. and 6, the mounting straps 30 haveinner ends 30b which are folded over and operatively related with a pairof connectors 48 of bent wire. Each connector 48 has a transverseportion 48a which interconnects a pair of legs 48b having inturned endswhich mount a roller 50 for rotation. The strap end 3012 passes aroundthe transverse portion 48a,

The mounting frame 34 is of bent wire construction and in cludes a pairof Ushaped members 52 each having a transverse portion 52ainterconnecting a pair of legs 52b. Secured to the ends of the legs 52bare a pair of end plates 54 forming part of the retracting roller 36.The legs 52b are disposed in wardly of the legs 48b and the strap end30b is disposed between the transverse portion 52a and 48a, whichportions are generally parallel to each other. Cooperatively related tothe connectors 48 and the member 52 are a pair of arched members 56having arcuate ends 560 interconnected by cross rods 58, each of whichrotatably supports a roller 60. The arcuate ends 58a curve around thetransverse portions 48a and are located adjacent to the junctures of thelegs 52b with the transverse portion 52a, outwardly thereof. Thus, whenan outward pull is exerted on a strap 30, the associated legs 52b aredrawn against the associated rod 58 and the strap end 30b is pressedagainst the roller 60 and the transverse portion 52a by the transverseportion 48a. However, when the connector 48 is swung lever fashion,using the rod 58 as a fulcrum, the por tion 480 is moved away from theportion 520 and the roller 60 for relieving the pressure on the strapend 30b and loosening the strap 30.

Mounted for rotation on the end plates 54 is a sleeve or cylindricalhousing 62 containing a coil spring 64, one end of which is connected tothe sleeve and the other is connected to one of the end plates. Thesleeve 62 is provided with a pair of fingers 66 spaced sufficiently fromthe cylindrical surface of the sleeve to receive the holding straptherebetween. With the ends 40a and 40b of the strap 38 released, thespring 64 is adapted to rotate the sleeve 62 and cause the intermediateportion of the safety belt to wrap therearound in a multiplicity oflayers until the rollers 46 engage the catches 40c on the strap forstopping further retraction thereof.

OPERATION The operation of the device of the present invention isbelieved to be clearly apparent and is briefly summarized at this point.In the detached condition of the safety belt device 10, the restrainingstrap 38 is retracted by the roller 36 and is wrapped around the sleeve62 in a multiplicity of layers. The anchors 28 are then applied toappropriate frame members, for example, the rails 22 of a hospitalgurney or the like. With the anchors 28 in place, pull is exerted on theends 300 of the mounting straps 30 for holding the anchors in place andsupporting the roller mounting frame 34 substantially midway between therails. With the pull exerted on the strap 38, the stop or catch 400 isin engagement with its respective roller 46, thus disposing the ends ofthe strap conveniently located at the side of the gurney or otherequipment and readily accessible for grasping and placement about thebody of the patient. The patient having been positioned on the gurney,it is but necessary to reach over and grasp the ends of the holdingstrap 38 and exert sufficient pull to extend the strap and place the endportions 40a and 40b thereof in overlapping relation so that the bristleand fleece adhesive fabric layers on such ends engage and hold theportions in place. It is to be noted that during pull on the ends of thestrap 38, the several rollers around which it passes rotate and reducefrictional drag on the strap, thus minimizing the pull required to placethe belt about a patient. It is also to be noted that the rollers 44float with respect to the rollers 46 for accommodating differentthicknesses of the strap. Furthermore, with the strap 38 disposed inplace about the patient, the pressure of the strap on the rollers 44causes the end portions 32c of the connector 32 to contact the reverselycurved portions 28e of the associated anchor for camming the anchor andforcing it into tighter engagement with the rail 22. Thus, with thestrap 38 fully extended and the ends thereof overlapped and engaged, thestrap serves to restrain the patient substantially independently of themounting for the roller 36.

To remove the strap 38 from about the patient, the distal end of theoverlapping end portion 40a of the strap is grasped and pulled upwardlyfor disengaging the layer 42a from the layer 42b and separating the endportions of the strap. Upon release of the end portions, the roller 36operates to retract the strap until the catches 400 are in engagementwith the rollers 46, the several guides and rollers serving to preventtwisting of the strap as it is retracted.

To remove the safety belt device 10 from the hospital equipment, it isonly necessary to swing one of the connectors 48 as a lever, with theassociated rod 58 as a fulcrum therefor, for pulling on and looseningthe end 30b of the associated mounting strap 30, whereupon the strap canbe further loosened as necessary for disengaging the associated anchor18 from the hospital equipment. The released anchor and associated partsare then passed to the other side of the equipment and the other anchoris disengaged, after which the device can be stored for later reuse orsent away for cleaning and sterilizing and the like.

There has thus been provided a safety belt of relatively light butrelatively strong construction which is readily attachable anddetachable relatively rapidly and operates in a reliable manner to holdboth the restraining strap and its detachable connections in place onhospital equipment when the strap is placed in a restraining condition.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what isconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed hereinbut is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace anyand all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

l. A retractable safety belt, for hospital gurneys and the likeproviding a patient support having elongated opposite sides, comprisingan elongated strap disposable in transversely circumscribing relationabout the patient support, said strap having opposite ends disposed inoverlapping position about the patient support when the strap is in anextended position; strap retractor means connected to the strapintermediate its ends for simultaneous retractive movement of theopposite ends of the strap to retracted positions adjacent to the sidesof the patient support; and anchor means on said sides of the patientsupport having supporting connection to said retractor means andproviding a guide over which said strap is trained to hold said anchormeans more tightly against said sides of the patient support, saidanchor means including a member mounted for relative movement thereonand about which the strap is trained when disposed in saidcircumscribing relation about the patient support, said member in saidrelation to the strap being forced against the anchor means to urge theanchor means into locking engagement with the sides of the patientsupport.

2. The retractable safety belt of claim 1 in which the retractor meansis supported in a mounting frame connected to the sides of the patientsupport by adjustable straps, each adjustable strap having an outer endconnected to said anchor means and an inner end trained about aconnector in sliding engagement with the frame, said connector beingmovably mounted on the frame, a pull on the adjustable strap in onedirection serving to move the connector toward the frame for holding theadjustable strap end tightly therebetween, movement of the connector inthe opposite direction serving to loosen the adjustable strap end.

3. The retractable safety belt of claim 2 in which the connector has aportion spaced from that portion engaging the adjustable strap which isoperable as a lever for loosening the strap end.

4. A safety belt comprising an elongated strap adapted to be disposed incircumscribing relation about an object to be restrained, said straphaving ends adapted to be releasably connected, retractor meansconnected to an intermediate part of the strap for retracting the sameupon release of the strap ends, means for adjustably mounting theretractor means on a support, said mounting means including connectionmeans releasably attachable to the support providing a turning point forthe strap, and movable means associated with the connection means forengagement by said strap to urge the movable means against saidconnection means when the strap is disposed in said circumscribingrelation for locking the connection means to the support.

5. The safety belt of claim 4 in which said movable means and saidconnection means provide associated camming portions so that saidrelative movement of the movable means with respect to the connectionmeans cams .the latter into tighter engagement with the support.

6. The safety belt of claim 5 in which the connection means is of bentwire construction having a curved portion engaged by the movable means.

7. A retractable safety belt, for hospital gurneys and the likeproviding a patient support having elongated opposite sides, comprisingan elongated strap disposable in transversely circumscribing relationabout the patient support, said strap having opposite ends disposed inoverlapping position about the patient support when the strap is in anextended position; strap retractor means connected to the strapintermediate its ends for simultaneous retractive movement of theopposite ends of the strap to positions adjacent to the sides of thepatient support; and anchor means releasably longitudinally slidablymounted on said sides of the patient support having supportingconnection to said retractor means and providing a guide over which saidstrap is trained when disposed in said circumscribing relation about thepatient support to hold said anchor means in locking engagement withsaid sides of the patient support in selected adjustable positionslongitudinally along the patient support.

8. The retractable safety belt of claim 7 in which said ends of thestrap include flap portions engageable with said anchor means in saidretracted positions to preclude further retraction of the ends of thestrap around said sides of the patient support.

9. The retractable safety belt of claim 2 in which said frame includes afirst substantially linear portion, a pair of legs extending from theportion, a second substantially linear portion disposed generallyparallel to the first portion, a third substantially linear portiondisposed generally parallel to the first portion and engageable with thepair of legs, and a strap having an end trained about the third portionand folded back to form a double layer, said double layer being disposedbetween the first and second portions, movement of the third portiontoward the other portions serving to press the layers of the straptherebetween and hold the strap in place, movement of the third portionaway from the other portions serving to loosen the strap.

l0. The retractable safety belt of claim 9 in which the second portionhas connected thereto a pair of legs disposed outwardly of thefirst-named pair of legs and curved about the third portion, and thethird portion has a pair of legs also disposed outwardly of thefirst-named pair of legs, said movement of the third portion toward theother portions engaging the third portion with the first-named pair oflegs and the latter with the second portion.

11. The retractable safety belt of claim 10 in which said movement ofthe third portion away from the other portions is accomplished byswinging the legs associated with the third portion as a lever and usingthe second portion as a fulcrum.

1. A retractable safety belt, for hospital gurneys and the likeproviding a patient support having elongated opposite sides, comprisingan elongated strap disposable in transversely circumscribing relationabout the patient support, said strap having opposite ends disposed inoverlapping position about the patient support when the strap is in anextended position; strap retractor means connected to the strapintermediate its ends for simultaneous retractive movement of theopposite ends of the strap to retracted positions adjacent to the sidesof the patient support; and anchor means on said sides of the patientsupport having supporting connection to said retractor means andproviding a guide over which said strap is trained to hold said anchormeans more tightly against said sides of the patient support, saidanchor means including a member mounted for relative movement thereonand about which the strap is trained when disposed in saidcircumscribing relation about the patient support, said member in saidrelation to the strap being forced against the anchor means to urge theanchor means into locking engagement with the sides of the patientsupport.
 2. The retractable safety belt of claim 1 in which theretractor means is supported in a mounting frame connected to the sidesof the patient support by adjustable straps, each adjustable straphaving an outer end connected to said anchor means and an inner endtrained about a connector in sliding engagement with the frame, saidconnector being movably mounted on the frame, a pull on the adjustablestrap in one direction serving to move the connector toward the framefor holding the adjustable strap end tightly therebetween, movement ofthe connector in the opposite direction serving to loosen the adjustablestrap end.
 3. The retractable safety belt of claim 2 in which theconnector has a portion spaced from that portion engaging the adjustablestrap which is operable as a lever for loosening the strap end.
 4. Asafety belt comprising an elongated strap adapted to be disposed incircumscribing relation about an object to be restrained, said straphaving ends adapted to be releasably connected, retractor meansconnected to an intermediate part of the strap for retracting the sameupon release of the strap ends, means for adjustably mounting theretractor means on a support, said mounting means including connectionmeans releasably attachable to the support providing a turning point forthe strap, and movable means associated with the connection means forengagement by said strap to urge the movable means against saidconnection means when the strap is disposed in said circumscribingrelation for locking the connection means to the support.
 5. The safetybelt of claim 4 in which said movable means and said connection meansprovide associated camming portions so that said relative movement ofthe movable means with respect to the connection means cams the latterinto tighter engagement with the support.
 6. The safety belt of claim 5in which the connection means is of bent wire construction having acurved portion engaged by the movable means.
 7. A retractable safetybelt, for hospital gurneys and the like providing a patient supporthaving elongated opposite Sides, comprising an elongated strapdisposable in transversely circumscribing relation about the patientsupport, said strap having opposite ends disposed in overlappingposition about the patient support when the strap is in an extendedposition; strap retractor means connected to the strap intermediate itsends for simultaneous retractive movement of the opposite ends of thestrap to positions adjacent to the sides of the patient support; andanchor means releasably longitudinally slidably mounted on said sides ofthe patient support having supporting connection to said retractor meansand providing a guide over which said strap is trained when disposed insaid circumscribing relation about the patient support to hold saidanchor means in locking engagement with said sides of the patientsupport in selected adjustable positions longitudinally along thepatient support.
 8. The retractable safety belt of claim 7 in which saidends of the strap include flap portions engageable with said anchormeans in said retracted positions to preclude further retraction of theends of the strap around said sides of the patient support.
 9. Theretractable safety belt of claim 2 in which said frame includes a firstsubstantially linear portion, a pair of legs extending from the portion,a second substantially linear portion disposed generally parallel to thefirst portion, a third substantially linear portion disposed generallyparallel to the first portion and engageable with the pair of legs, anda strap having an end trained about the third portion and folded back toform a double layer, said double layer being disposed between the firstand second portions, movement of the third portion toward the otherportions serving to press the layers of the strap therebetween and holdthe strap in place, movement of the third portion away from the otherportions serving to loosen the strap.
 10. The retractable safety belt ofclaim 9 in which the second portion has connected thereto a pair of legsdisposed outwardly of the first-named pair of legs and curved about thethird portion, and the third portion has a pair of legs also disposedoutwardly of the first-named pair of legs, said movement of the thirdportion toward the other portions engaging the third portion with thefirst-named pair of legs and the latter with the second portion.
 11. Theretractable safety belt of claim 10 in which said movement of the thirdportion away from the other portions is accomplished by swinging thelegs associated with the third portion as a lever and using the secondportion as a fulcrum.